Branding iron



Ech, 2% H925. J. PETERSON BRANDING 'IRON Filed Eeb. 8, 1924 Patented Feb. 24, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,527,273 PTEN FECE.

JOHN PETERSON, OF MAYWOOD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO COMBINATION BLOW TORCH MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF MELROSE PARK, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

BRANDING IRON.

Application led February 8, 1924.

To all whomy t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN PETERSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Maywood, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Branding Irons, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to branding irons particularly intended for use upon torches which emit a heating flame against the rear of the iron. The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel branding iron in which all the characters employed in making the brand will be equally heated and well heated, and in which the heat will be held a sufficient time to permit each branding operation to be completed and well performed, while allowingvsuch operations to take place with that frequency found desirable in practice.

The invention will be best understood in respect to its several features and advantages upon reference to the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the scope of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In said drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a torch upon which is located a branding iron constructed in accordance with the present invention, the torch being shown in elevation and the branding iron and its attaching means in vertical section; Fig. 2 is a face view of a modified brandingiron arranged for the attachment of removable branding elements; Fig. 3 is a transverse section of said modilied branding iron with one of the elements in position, the section being taken on a plane indicated by the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical section of a still further modification in which the branding elements are also removably associated, the plane of section being indicated by the line 4 4 of Fig. 5; Fig. 5 .is a perspective view of the latter modiiication; and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through a portion of the same illustrating particularly the way in which the branding elements are held in the body of the iron. Throughout these views like characters refer to like parts.

Referring to the drawing in detail, 10 designates the body of the torch which bored out so as to provide a central mixing and combustion chamber 11. A downwardly eX Serial No. 691,371.

tending tubular shank 13 and an associated tube 14 connect the torch with its fuel supply tank 15. A pump is employed to pump air into the tank 15 and thereby place the fuel, which is in liquid form, under pressure. Ordinarily the fuel employed is gasoline. A suitable passage from the opening in shank 13 leads to the combustion chamber by way of the needle valve 19 located at the forward end of the valve rod 2O which, in turn, is provided with an angularly disposed handle 21 by which the valve 19 may be adjusted. A. fuel pan 30 serves to heat the torch at starting. Air is supplied to the combustion chamber 11 through the openings 31. The linger piece 33 enables the torch to be readily handled.

The torch construction need not be described with greatparticularity because the same constitutes in itself no part of the present invention, and is fully illustrated and explained in my prior application Se* rial No. 480,017, filed June 24, 1921, issued as Pat-ent No. 1,487,359, dated March 18, 1924, and reference may be had to that case for a fuller understanding of the torch structure.

The present application is in part a continuation of said prior case, the speciiic disclosure of Figs. 4, 5 and 6 being added to the portion divided out of the parent case.

As clearly shown, the branding irons herein disclosed are attachments to be used upon the torch disclosed, or upon like torches or their equivalents.

The first to be described is branding iron .shown more particularly in Fig. 1. This branding iron comprises a relatively flat body 46 having branding element 47 on the one side and a llame impinging surface ou the other. The latter surface has its superficial area increased by reason of the projections or points 49 which extend outward ly from the body 46 and are integral with it. Since all are of metal, the flame which impinges against these points has its heat more readily conducted to the branding element 47. The latter may be of any preferred shape. In some instances it will consist of a letter, in others a mark or some distinguishing character, and in still others perhaps a word. The body 46 is provided on its rear face with a boss 50 which is drilled out for the purpose of receiving the. forward end of a pin 4 1 associated with the discharge Il t) end of the torch 10. A set screw 51 firmly secures the branding iron to the pin. The latter extends at its rear end into a similar` opening in a boss 43 'formed upon the body ot the'torch 10, and a similar set screw 44 serves to hold the pin 4l in place. By the use of these parts the branding iron 45 is lirmly secured in place upon the outer end of the body of the torch in line to receive the iiame emitted from its adjacent discharge end, and at the same time the arm may be readily removed for the replacement of another iron or other attaclnnents when desired. i

As just pointed out, when the parts are properly assembled the branding iron lies directly in front ot' the discharge openng 82 of the torch 4Combustion chamber ll; Consequently the iame coming from that f chamber Will impinge upon the surface 48 and projections 49. Inorder to prevent the flame from Haring in such. a Way as to burn or other vise distigure the object being branded, whether animate or inanimate, I provide means for deliecting the flame back- Ward away from the plane of the body 46,

and consequently away from the object.r

In the present instance I employ a peripheral flange 5,2 which extends Vrearwardly from the body 46, and by reason of its inclined Wall 53, reverts the flame. Obviously', other arrangements may be employed for bringing about this same advantage. It is also apparent thatthe flange 52 need not have the inclined Wall 5 3. such as` I have illustrated.

Instead of having the branding element ,fixed to and forming a part of the brand ing iron, I am employing a branding iron oit the form shown in Figs. 2 and 8 Wherein the body 54 is similar to the body 46 but has on its `liront Jface'merely tivo ribs 55 betweenV which a removable branding element 56 may be secured by means of one or more bolts 54 and nuts 58. The forward end of the iron 56 containsv the marking elements 5S) as will be apparent. In this instance the inner faces ot the ribs 55 diverge o'utwardly and the portion of the branding element 56 which engages them is Wedgeshaped so as to closely lit againstthese faces. lith this construction a space at the 'flower end of the branding element would still alloiv for a Wedging fit between the faces of the element Yand the engaged faces oi? the ribs. In this instance the body 54 is provided with a projection 60 which takes the place of the projections 49 ot the earlier form. Itis also provided with a flange 6l which corresponds to the flange on the first form. A similar boss 62 and a set sere-W 63 coi-operate With the Vpin 41 to hold the iron in position upon the end el the torch.

Again, the body ot the branding iron maj1 take the form of the body in the form ot invention shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. In this instance the flange impinging surface is characteristically the same as illustrated in Fig. l and comprises the flat surface 48 from which projecting points 49 arise, and the outer edge is provided with the reverting flange 52. A boss 50 is apertured in like manner for the reception ot' the forward end of the pin 4l. The set screw 51 performs the same function as before.

The opposite side of the body 70 in this instance, however, is provided With a pe* ripheral flange 7l which surrounds a flat face 72 Which, in the form illustrated, is rectangular. It is againstthis face 42 that the different branding elements 73 rest. Each of these elei'nents comprises a flat base 74 and projections 75-` The latter Constitute the characters or emblems that press upon the body to be branded.l The bases 7 4 o tl the different branding elements 73. have lat edges so that they will lit together and lit accurately Within the conning periph eral Wall 7l of the branding iron proper. Then the elements 73 are properly assembled they are held in place by a set screw 76 which is threaded through a threaded opening in boss 7 7 located upon the end of the body 70 of the iron. lVlrere the branding elements suhiciently till up the space provided upon the iron the screw 76` may abut directly against the edge of the adjacent element 73, There the elements do not fill upI the entire` space, as is the case in the particular assemblage illustrated, a till ing block 7 8, upon lwhich no, branding face is located, servesl to till up4 the unoccupied space, and in such case screw 7 6 bears against the edge of the block 78 While the latter presses against the adjacent element 73. In this iva-y the force applied by the screw 76 is transmitted to the v y H branding elements and they are all held iirmly in place. By reason of the close titting of the various elements within the iange 7l and` upon the base 72, heat from the body 7() of the iron is transmitted with a minimum of loss to the projections which actually engage the body being branded. The close fit ot' the bases 74 of the branding elements against each other and the pressure exerted; by the sere1 76 also tend to, increase the conductivity of the assembled structure. e

From the above it- Will be seen that I have provided a branding iron tor use upon torches wherein the heat is Well distributed to all parts ot the iron which come in contact with the object branded and wherein there is suicient heat retaining capacity to perform brandng operations at a reasonajrble rate with a high degree of eticiency.

I may state that in carrying out my invention some alterations and modifications risanare may be made in the embodiments illustrated without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. I, therefore, aim to cover by the terms of the appended claims all such illustrations and modications as rightly come within the scope of my invention.

IVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by a patent of the United States is:

l. In a device of the class described, a torch having a combustion chamber having an open discharge end, means for supplying fuel under pressure to said chamber, a branding iron having an opposing surface positioned to lie in the path of the flame emitted from the discharge end of said chamber, said surface comprising, llrst, a flat portion extending substantially at right angles to the axis of the discharge end of said chamber and, second, a plurality of points of substantial length and thickness rising from said flat portion and extending rearwardly therefrom toward said discharge end into position to lie in the midst of the heating flame, a flange projecting rearwardly from the outer edge of said flat portion and serving to revert the llame at said outer edge away from the object being branded, a. boss extending rearwardly from the upper portion of said branding iron body and bored out for the reception of the forward end of a retaining rod, said rod, a like bored boss on the upper side of said combustion chamber for the reception of the rear end of said rod, and means for holding the bosses and rod in tight engagement to firmly hold the branding iron on the torch.

2. A branding iron comprising a relatively flat body having branding elements on one side and a flame impinging surface on the other, the latter surface comprising, first, a flat portion adapted to lie at right angles to the direction of the applied heating flame, and, second, a plurality of points of substantial length and thickness rising from said ilat portion and extending at substantially right angles therefrom into position to be engaged by the applied heating flame, ya rearwardly extending flange near the outer edge of said flat portion and surrounding all of said projecting points and serving to revert the heating flame back from the object being branded, a boss recessed for the reception of a holding pin located near the outer edge of the branding iron body between said flange and said pro' jecting points.

3. In a device of the class described, a torch having a combustion chamber having an open discharge end, means for supplying fuel under pressure to said chamber, a branding iron having a relatively flat body adapted for holding branding elements and having a flame receiving surface on the other side positioned to lie in the path of the llame emitted from the discharge end of said chamber, the branding side of said body having a plurality of forwardly extending ribs, a branding element having a suitable branding character on its forward face and a rear portion adapted to abut against the forward face of said body and to lie between said ribs, means for firmly holding said branding element in position against said body and between said ribs, the flame receiving side of said body comprising, first, a flat portion extending substantially at right angles to the axis of the discharge end of said chamber' and, second, a plurality of points of substantial length and thickness rising from said flat portion and extending rearwardly therefrom toward the discharge end of said chamber into position to lie in the midst of the heating flame, a. flange projecting rearwardly ffrom the outer edge of said flat portion and serving to revert the flame at said edge away from the object being branded, a boss extending rearwardly -from the upper portion of said branding iron body at a point between said flange and said points and bored out for the reception of the forward end of a retaining rod, said rod, a like bored boss on the upper side of said combustion chamber for the reception of the rear end of said rod, and means for holding said bosses and rod in tight engagement to firmly hold the branding iron on the torch.

4. A branding iron comprising a relatively llat body adapted :for holding branding elements on one side and having a flame impinging surface on the other side, the branding side having a plurality of ribs extending forward from the body, a branding element having a suitable branding character on its forward face and a rear portion adapted to abut against the forward face of said ilat body and to lie between said ribs, means for holding said branding element firmly in position against said body between said ribs, the llame impinging surface comprising, first, a flat portion adapted to lie at right angles to the direction of the applied heating flame, and, second, a plurality of points of substantial length and thickness rising from said flat portion and extending at substantially right angles therefrom into position to be engaged by the applied heating flame, a rearwardlyextending ilange near the outer edge of said flat portion and surrounding all of said projecting points and serving to revert the heating flame back from the object being branded, a boss recessed for the reception of a holding pin located near the outer edge of the branding iron body between said flange and said projecting points.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 4th day of February,

JOHN PETERSON. 

